Disposal apparatus



Jan. 21, 1947. 5PINKS 2,414,774

DI SPOSAL APPARATUS Filed April 11, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WW/ kLJINVENTOR.

Luff Spin/r6 7.5m. 21, 1947. L. SPINKS 2,414,774

DISPOSAL APPARATUS Filed April 11, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Luff Jpinlrs Patented Jan. 21, 1947 Luff Spinks, Detroit, Mich.Application April 11, 1945, Serial No. 597,801

' Claims. (cram-116) I This invention relates to an apparatus especiallysuitable and useful for the disposal of refuse or the like and for theloading of the refuse into transporting vehicles such as trucks, ortrailers or the like. It is quite generally appreciated that themaintenance of alleys or back drives or easements in a proper clean andsanitary condition isa problem of immense proportions. Even though therefuse be placed in proper receptacles or cans they are liable to beturned over so as to spill the refuse over the alley. Moreover, itrequires a considerable crew of men to pick up the refuse and load thesame into transporting vehicles as the receptacles, even assuming thatthe refuse is properly contained in the receptacles, have to be pickedup and dumped into a vehicle body, the height of which may be in excessof six feet from the ground. One way this is accomplished is for thedriver of the vehicle to drive down the middle of the alley whileseveral men walk along each side of the alley to pick up the receptaclesand dump the same into the vehicle.

The present invention aims to provide an improved receptacle and alifting and dumping mechanism therefor. The receptacle is firmly held inposition on a suitable base so that it is not liable to be turned overorotherwise mishandled so that the refuse will spill in the alley, andthe structure involves a mechanism, which by a simple operation, makesit feasible for one Workman to operate so that the receptacle iselevated into a position overlying the vehicle and then tipped todischarge the contents thereof into the vehicle body. This reduces thenumber of men required and promotes discharge of the entire contentsinto the vehicle.

In accordance with the invention, the receptacle is mounted on a basestructure which supports the elevating mechanism and. in the operationof this structure the receptacle is not only elevated but is movedangularly so as to overlie a vehicle stationed alongside of thereceptacle. When the receptacle is properly elevated it is turned orswung to discharge the contents thereof. The receptacle may be used forany and all kinds of refuse or waste material whether it be ashes orfood refuse or the like.

A structure made in accordance with the invention is diclosed in theaccompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the apparatus withthe receptacle in a positionabout to beactuated to discharge its contents into the vehicle body.

. l l 2 I r Fig. 2 is a side elevational view with the receptacle in itsnormal position.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view taken in a direction of line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the construction for holding andmanipulating the cover of the receptacle.

Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic view illus- The receptacle isillustrated at 4 having a cover 5 pivoted to the receptacle as at 6.

Associated with the receptacle is an elevating mechanism which, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2,, comprises a series of levers pivoted together attheir intermediate portion and at their ends in such a manner that byasimple movement there is an extending action. This structure is commonlyknown as a lazy-tong structure and it will be referred to as suchherein. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 there are two sets of lazy-tongs, oneon each side of the receptacle and they are generally illustrated at l0and I I. Suitably mounted in the 4 base is a cross shaft [2 constitutingthe fixed end of the lazy-tong structure. As illustrated in Fig. 1 thelazy-tong structure I!) is comprised of a series of levers l3 and I4pivoted together at their intermediate portions as at I5 and at theirends as at IS. The pivot points l5, however, are located so that some ofthe lever arms are longer than others. For example, the arms I! of thelevers are longer than the arms l8 so that when the lazy-tong structureis extended the movement given to the can is upwardly and angularly.Thus, the receptacle is moved laterally, so that it may overlie avehicle body. The lazy-tong structure II on the opposite side of thereceptacle is constructed in the same manner. l

The mechanism for controlling the movement of the lazy-tong structure ishoused in the covering 3 and is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. There is a worm20 with an exposed end in the form of a nut or the like 2| adapted toreceive a suitable tuming tool or wrench 22. The worm structure :mesheswith the teeth of a worm gear 23 for turning s a main shaft 24 throughthe means of gears 25 and 26. On this main shaft is a gear 21 and a gear28 and the teeth of these gears mesh with gears or pinions 29 and 36.The axial extent of gear 29 and, 3B exceed that of gears 21 and 28 asshown in Fig. 6. The two lowermost lever arms I! and it have, as shownin Fig. 7, extending segments 35 and 36. The Segment 35 joins with armis and its teeth mesh with those of gear 29. The segment 36 joins withlever arm I! and its teeth mesh with the gear 2?. In this manner thedithe receptacle approaches its lowermost position rection ofoscillation of the levers is made to be clockwise as Fig. 7 is viewed,the arm H is rocked counter-clockwise. At the same time the gear 29 isrotated counter-clockwise and the segment and arm is are rockedclockwise. This gear arrangement is duplicated for the gears 28 and 3tand the 'lazy' ton'g set i 5. So it will be seen that by applying theturning tool to the operating piece 2| that the lazy-tong structure maybe'extended or retracted. A modified form of operator is shown in Fig.3. In this form a lever 40 is operable on the shaft is and the lazy-tongstructure advanced or retracted by swinging of the lever. This modifiedarrangement may be suitable for smaller installations. However, theworm-type of mechanism is irreversible so that the structure, whenextended, will remain in extended position.

The receptacle'is pivotally mounted to the lazytong structure as at 4|.This mounting is advantageously a little bitabove the center of gravity.On one of the pintles attached to the receptacle is a spring retainer 42for cooperation with a coil spring 43, oneend of which is attached totheretainer at 4 and the other end of which isattached to the lazy-tongstructure at one of the fulcrum points, for example, as illustrated at.45. The member $2 is rigid with the container and when the receptacleis in lowered position the spring is more or less wound around theretainer 42.

" Mounted on the receptacle is a channel 56, one

side of which near the bottom may be cut away as at 5|. Near the top ofthe channel is an opening 52. Adjacent the opening 52 is an angularguide 53. At one of the fulcrum points in the lazy-tong structure, forexample, at the point 55 there is a projecting stud 56 designed tocooperate with the channel 5E The spring arrangement and the channel andstud arrangement cooperate to control the tipping action of thereceptacle.

I The structure operates as follows: In the nor mal position of reposethe receptacle may rest upon the base with the lazy-tong structurecollapsed as shown in Figs.2 and 3. The spring 42 is wrapped upon theretainer; the stud 56 reposes in the upper part of the channel 59substantially as illustrated in'Fig. 5. To elevate the container theoperating piece 2| is rotated which may be done by means of a suitablehandle or crank 22. This actuates the gearing as shown in Fig.7 and aspreviously described, and the lazy-tong structure is extended. 'As thecontainer is elevated the pivot point 55 and the stud 55 move downwardlyrelative to the point of connection 4| with the receptacle and,therefore, the stud moves downwardly in thecha-nnel 55: At the sametime, the spring 43 is'stressed. As will be appreciated by reference toFig. 1, the spring retainer 42 acts as a lever, and

the spring; places the torque on the receptacle tending to turn it onits mountings 4| in a 'coun:

' tor-clockwise 'direction'asFig. 1 is viewed. However,--thi's'-cannotoccur-because the" pin 56 lies in may gravitate back to its normalvertical position. When this is done the pin 56 is outside the channel50 but below the angle guide 52. It may be that the receptacle, ingravitating to a vertical position, will cause the opening 52 to moveover the pin. For safety purposes, however, and in the event this doesnot occur, the pin 56 will strike the angle guide 56 and thereby beforced into the channel- Thus, the parts are restored to thepositions-shown .in Fig. 5.

The cover of the receptacle is preferably mounted so thattheirece'ptacle is opened by the cover and tips to the dotted linepositions shown in Fig. 1. To this end there is a cover operatorpivotally secured to the cover. as at, 6i and piv: otaily connected at arelatively fixed point v$2.

The operator is a telescoping structure residing there is a sort ofrocker arm having a part 10 and a part l2'pivotally mounted as at 73 onone of the lazy-tong levers. A link 15 is pivotally mounted asat'ifi onan opposite lazy-tong lever.

and the link 15 is pivoted to thepart 'EZfas 'at 17. Whenthe receptacletips about its pivotal mounting ti the strut of thecover pivots aboutthe point 62. Since point 62 is removed from the pivot point 4!, thehinge 6 of the cover and the point of connection 5i move about differentarcs. The link structure tit-64 provides a strut action and causes thecover to swing intoan open posi-, tion shown by the dotted lines inFig. 1. Due to the link structure 16-12, and '55, the point 62 remainsrelatively fixed as regards the pivot point ll. That is to say, thepivot point 62 remains at substantially the same radial distance fromthe pivot point. As the lazy-tong levers collapse, as shown by thedotted lines in Fig. 4, thereis a hinging action as at 71 between theparts l5'and 12 and this leversystem is worked out to maintain the point62 at approximately a uniform distance from the center 4|. Accordingly,when the receptacleis lowered and gravitates toward normal position thecover will, by gravity, assume a closed position. 7 The cover may belifted on its hinge with the telescoping parts 63 and 64 slidingrelative to each other. The structure comprising the part 63 and 64 maif desired, be arranged to hold the cover open when refuse is beingplaced in the con tainer. Such, structures. are known to those versed inthe art oflids and decks and constitutes a refinement which may be madein a commercial structure but which needs no detail description herein.

Iclaim:

An apparatus substantially as described comprising a receptacle, asupport, a lazy tong structure mounted atfone end ,to the support, meanspivotally connectingat its otherend to the receptacle, means holding thereceptacle against rocking movement on the pivotal connection meansoperable to extend the lazy-tong structure to elevate the receptacle andmeans operable to release the holding means for the tipping of thereceptacle when elevated to discharge the contents thereof.

2. The structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that thepivots for the intermediate portions of the levers of the lazy-tongstructure are positioned so that the lever arms on one side of thelazy-tong structure are relatively long and on the other side arerelatively short so that the receptacle when elevated is given a lateralmovement whereby it may be positioned over a transporting vehicle.

3. An apparatus substantially as described comprising a receptacle, asupport, a lazy-tong structure mounted at one end to the support, meanspivotally connecting the receptacle to the other end of the lazy-tongstructure at a point above the center of gravity of the receptacle,means operable to extend a lazy-tong structure to elevate the receptacleand means conditioned by the elevating movement and operable when thereceptacle is elevated to tip th same for discharge of the contentsthereof.

4. An apparatus substantially as described comprising a receptacle, asupport, a lazy-tong structure having a plurality of levers pivotedtogether and mounted at one end to the support, means pivotallyconnecting the lazy-tong structure at its other end to the receptacle,means operable to extend the lazy-tong structure to elevate thereceptacle, a spring interconnecting the receptacle and a part of thelazy-tong structure which is stressed as the lazy-tong structure isextended and tends to tip the receptacle on its mounting and meansinterconnecting the receptacle and the lazy-tong structure forpreventing the tipping of the receptacle, said last named means beingreleasable substantially upon complete elevation of the receptacle.

5. The structure as described in claim 4 characterized in that the meansinterconnecting the receptacle and the lazy-tong structure comprising arail on the receptacle and a stud on the lazytong structure for engagingthe rail, said stud adapted to run off the rail when the lazy-tongstructure is substantially fully extended.

6. The structure as described in claim 4 characterized in that the meansinterconnecting the receptacle and the lazy-tong structure comprising arail on the receptacle and a stud on the lazytong structure for engagingthe rail, said stud adapted to run off the rail when the lazy-tongstructure is substantially fully extended, and an angular guide memberfor engaging the stud as the lazy-tong structure is substantiallycollapsed to move the same into cooperative relationship with the rail.

'7. A structure as described in claim 4 characterized in that the meansfor preventing tipping of the receptacle comprises a channel mountedupon the receptacle, a stud projecting from a pivot of the lazy-tongstructure for operation in the channel, said channel terminating nearthe bottom of the receptacle for movement of the stud out of the channelfor tipping of the receptacle and an angular guide adjacent the top ofthe channel for engaging the stud when the lazy-tong structure issubstantially collapsed for moving the stud into the channel.

8. An apparatus substantially as described comprising, a receptacle, asupport, a lazy-tong structure mounted at one end to the support, meanspivotally mounting the receptacle to the other end of the lazy-tongstructure, means operable to extend the lazy-tong structure to elevatethe receptacle, means for tipping the receptacle when elevated for thedischarge of the contents thereof, a cover pivotally mounted to thereceptacle, link means pivotally connected. to the cover, meansconnecting the link means to the lazy-tong structure at a point removedfrom the pivotal mounting of the receptacle and arranged to swing thecover to open position as th receptacle tips.

9. An apparatus substantially as described comprising a receptacle, asupport, a lazy-tong structure mounted at one end to the support, meanspivotally mounting the receptacle to the other end of the lazy-tongstructure, means operable to extend the lazy-tong structure to elevatethe receptacle, means for tipping the receptacle when elevated for thedischarge of the contents thereof, a link comprising telescopingmembers, one of which is connected to the cover, means connecting theother telescoping member to the lazy-tong structure at a point removedfrom the pivotal mounting of the receptacle, the telescoping actionbeing operable for the opening of the cover when the receptacle isstanding at rest and operable as a strut when the receptacle tips foropening the cover.

10. The structure as described in claim 9 characterized in that themeans for mounting the telescoping link member to the lazy-tongstructure comprises two links, each pivoted to an oppositely disposedlever in the lazy-tong structure and pivoted together withone of thelinks having an extending arm pivotally connected to one of the saidtelescoping members.

LUFF SPINKS.

